Men over the age of 50 are more likely to participate in activities and programs if they are in-person, one hour long and meet once per month.
That’s according to the findings from a report from Mather Institute, which surveyed 924 men aged 50 and up to find what drives them to participate in programming. Senior living operators sometimes struggle to get men to participate in beneficial programming in the communities where they live, and the report’s authors sought to find out what would motivate more men to participate in them.
As of July 2025, 78% of the respondents had joined at least one program offering. More than half of those said they participated in social groups like the Lions Club, VFW or hobby clubs; volunteered; or took part in educational programs within the previous year. About a quarter of participants were involved more than once per month, and 58% expressed a desire to participate in more programs than they currently do, according to the report.
Half of the respondents indicated they prefer in-person programs rather than meeting online, which only 29% of participants said they preferred. The majority of respondents (48%) indicated they preferred programs to last around an hour, while 20% indicated 30 minutes was preferred and 12% noted 90 minutes. The remaining 20% were either more than two hours or had no preference.
The majority of (56%) respondents also indicated they preferred small group settings of 15 people or less while 27% prefer medium groups between 15 and 50 people. While the program type itself, such as experience-based such as making something or participating in a task, discussion-based and presentations or lectures didn’t vary significantly, experience-based options did stand out as a preferred method with around 30% noting it would be their first choice.
Over half of respondents responded that they would prefer programming open to all genders, while 14% preferred activities with men only and 31% didn’t have a preference.
Almost all of the study participants (93%) said improving brain health was their top choice of programming. Fewer respondents reported interest in making new friendships (67%) and building strong relationships (71%), the report states.
The report also sought to understand loneliness in men. The report’s authors wrote the average man who identified as lonely tended to be younger, with an average age of 60 compared to 64, less likely to be married and more likely to live alone. However, they are also 26% more likely to attend programming because of it, particularly social clubs, group exercise and volunteering.
The survey also looked into the barriers preventing men from participating in programs and activities. Most were motivated by personal interests (88%) and programs that are fun and enjoyable (86%). Programs that revolved around exercise, health and wellness, food and cooking, history and current events and technology were the most popular program topics selected in the survey, and programs being either too expensive or respondents not having enough time to join were the two biggest barriers to participation.
